Cartons for inspection



July 15, 1969 D. GILLAM 3,455,497

CARTONS FOR INSPECTION Filed April 15, 1966 42 I 29 23 46 1 22 46 3/ 25 33 34 2. ,2 Z 34 L Z6 23 37 35' A24 38 L0 5 5 2 g Lg 25 i --36 Z0 E. 2 38a. 27 3/ E 7 A? E 2 766 3 INVENTOR.

EDWARD D. G/LLAM ATTORNEY United States Patent 01 ice 3,455,497 CARTONS FOR INSPECTION Edward D. Gillam, Penn Valley, Pa., assignor to Comly- Gillam Carton-Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,844 Int. Cl. B65d 33/04, 5/08 U.S. Cl. 229-38 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to cartons for inspection.

It has heretofore been proposed in the U.S. patent to Leavens, No. 3,035,380 to provide a carton with code indicia for actuating photo-electric inspection and electronic identification. For this purpose code indicia is provided at separated locations, one of which is on a glue lap or glue flap and the other of which is on an end flap or tuck.

This arrangement of indicia has serious shortcomings. In some folding and gluing machines difiiculty is encountered in locating the scanning or detecting apparatus to conform to the limitation on locations imposed in the Leavens patent.

Another very serious objection to the approach of the Leavens patent is that after gluing the indicia on the glue lap or flap cannot be checked without defacing or destroying the carton that for some purposes additional indicia at another location is essential.

The carton of that patent, also had no provisions for simultaneous mechanical or visual checking of a plurality of cartons but was restricted to sequential inspection with special equipment which special equipment was highly susceptible to power failures.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for inspection and which is capable of inspection after gluing without mutilation or destruction of the indicia carrying panel.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for inspection which has a wide adaptability for scanning or inspection apparatus so that such apparatus can be at convenient and effective locations in the machine.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for inspection and which, in one aspect of the invention, has an available and accessible panel with indicia for scanning and checking, which panel is concealed but not glued when the carton is closed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for inspection and which in one aspoet of the invention has an initial inspection panel which is capable of removal during gluing, or of retention for subsequent inspection to identify a batch or to check an individual package having multiple locations of indicia for inspection.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for inspection and which as another aspect of the invention has indicia for scanning located so as to serve a multiple function, i.e. for photoelectric or electronic inspection, initially at the folding and gluing 3,455,497 Patented July 15, 1969 of the carton, and subsequently at the filling and closing of the carton and which additionally, if desired, may have one or more auxiliary removable portions for inventory control and other purposes;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide indicia for scanning which is disposed on the carton so as to be capable of utilization for checking at the time of gluing and for checking at the time of filling and closing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a carton having printed code indicia in one or more advantageous locations and .which further embodies indicia for simultaneous manual or visual identification of a plurality of cartons by reason of the outline or shape of die cut edges of the carton.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved cartons for inspection for checking conformity thereof to prescribed requirements.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a carton in accordance with the invention as seen from the printed side;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the carton in vertical position, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a carton blank showing a gage location or shaped indicia;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing another gage location or shaped indicia for a differently identified carton from that of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing still another gage location or shaped indicia for a still differently identified carton;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a plurality of stacked blanks with their gage locations in alignment indicating like cartons; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the availability of the indicia for scanning. It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In accordance with the present invention, cartons for inspection are provided, with multiple safety measures to better control the inspection, and including inspection with mechanical, visual and electronic equipment that have been known to have failures when used alone. Multiple safety features are highly advisable because of the ever present possibility of mixups of printed boxes in relation to contents, such mixups, particularly if the contents are pharmaceutical preparations or drugs, having disastrous potentialities to the consumer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings a carton blank 10 is shown merely by way of illustration.

The carton blank 10 can be of any desired material but is preferably cut and formed and of paperboard or the like with a finished face to receive the printing for identifying the contents and with cut lines and crease lines as desired. The blank includes a rectangular exterior side wall panel 11, having opposite end dust flaps or tabs 12 joined thereto along transverse crease lines 13 and interiorly disposed in the set up and closed condition of the swarm; Tlieside' wall panel 11 has joined thereto along a longitudinal crease line 14 a rectangular exterior front wall panel 15.

' Thefront' wall panel'15 has joined thereto along a transverse crease line 16 an end exterior wall 17 which has, connected thereto along a transverse crease line 18, atuck flap 19.

The front wall panel has joined thereto along a longitudinal crease line 20, an exterior side Wall panel 21, similar to the side wall panel 11' with opposite end dust flaps or tabs 22 joined to the panel 21 along longitudinal creaselines 23. The side wall panel 21 has joined thereto along a longitudinal crease line 24 arectangular exterior rear wall panel 25.

The rear wall panel 25 has joined thereto along a transverse crease line 26 an exterior end wall 27 which has, connected thereto along a transverse crease line 28, a tuck flap 29. I

, The rear wall panel 25 has joined thereto along a longitudinal crease line 30, a glue flap 31. The glue flap 31 is adapted to have glue applied to its upper face and to be secured to the inner face of the side wall panel 11 as hereinafter pointed out. The glue flap 31 is preferably of lesser width than the side wall panel 11.

The blank 10 .as just described, and with its finish face printed is well known and is adapted to be glued by well known types of gluers, and shipped to a location for automatic setting up, insertion of the contents, and clos- In accordance with the present invention the blank 10 at a convenient location is preferably provided with an inspection panel which can be utilized during gluing and subsequently for this purpose, it is preferred that the glue flap 31 have joined thereto along a weakened line 33, either deeply scored or perforated, an inspection panel 34. The inspection panel 34 can be of the same or substantially the same length as the glue flap 31 but is preferably shorter so that an adjoining blank 10 oppositely turned can" be positioned with its inspection panel 34 aligned with the inspection panel 34 of an adjoining blank 10. This permits saving board.

The-inspection panel 34 is preferably provided with printed indicia 36 for sequential photoelectric and/or electronic scanning in a well known manner.

: The inspection panel preferably at one marginal edge 37, this being the leading edge, and extending into the panel 31, is provided with a keying notch or cut out 38 of predetermined size and shape for a particular batch ortype of cartons, to provide visible indicia and gaging r locations.- The cut out 38, as shown in alternative forms at 38a and 38b in FIGS. 5 and 6, can be varied as desired to provide dilferent gage locations.

. j The cut out serves for alignment in a stack with a particularly located keying gage bar (not shown) or for control of 'a detector finger (not shown) upon sequential movement, and the plurality of cut outs 38 in a vertical stack of blanks 10 (FIG. 7) by their uniformity will show visually compliance with a standard, or by their lack of uniformity, the presence of cartons not consistent with a' standard. The extension of the keying notch 38 into the panel 31 provides certainty of response upon insertion! of the keying gage bar or upon visual inspection.

The. blank 10 can also be provided on one of the portions thereof which is not visible when the carton blank is set up with a second area of printed indicia 46 for photoelectric and/ or electronic scanning.

v The blank 10 may also alternatively or additionally to the indicia 46 have on one of the tabs or flaps 22 projecting froma wall panel 11 or 21 an auxiliary inspection 7 panel, such as the panel 42 joined to one of the end tabs 22. The panel 42 is preferably joined to this tab 22'by a weakened line 43, which can be-deeply scored or perforated to facilitate severing. The panel 42 is preferably also p ovided with P inted indicia 44; which is po i n 4 on the panel 42 for use upon movement of the glued carton in flat condition in a direction at right angles to the initial direction of travel.

It is preferred however, to place printed indicia 46 which will activate the scanning mechanism on one or more of the tabs or panels 22. The printed indicia 46 is positioned so that upon initial longitudinal movement for folding and gluing of the cartons the indicia 46 will activate first scanning mechanism above or below the blank 10 during its passage through the folding and gluing machine. Subsequently during filling, and with that tab 22 folded to a position at right angles to its position inthe blank 10, this same indicia 46 can be employed again for activating a second scanning mechanism.

The manner of use will now be pointed out.

After the sheets on which the blank 10 has been printed and provided with crease lines, cuts and perforations, the" blank 10 is separated'from that sheet. The blanks 10 can be initially assembled with an automatic folding and gluing machine of well known type and with the glue flap 31 secured to the under face of the side wall panel 11, the blank 10 being folded along the crease lines 14 and 24 during its passage through the folding and gluing machine.

While the blanks 10 are in flat condition they are capable of visual inspection at the cut outs 38, or stacking with respect to a keying gage bar (not shown) at the cut outs 38, 38a and 38b. The blanks 10 are also subject to rapid successive scanning of the printed indicia 36.

During the passage of the blanks 10 through the gluing machine the inspection panels 34 can be severed and collected for control purposes although it is preferred that they remain in place and interiorly disposed along the inner face of the side wall panel 11 to which they are brought by the glue flaps 31.

By the use of the gage indicia 38 and the printed indicia 36 compliance with a standard can be effected up to and during the gluing so that the presence of undesired blanks can be ascertained and these rejected or removed.

If the cartons in glued and flat condition are shipped to another location for filling the indicia 36 and/or the indicia can be utilized by scanning to further insure that the cartons when set up are filled with the proper contents.

During setting up, if desired, the auxiliary inspection panel 42 can be severed and collected for purposes of checking, although if desired for later inventory control this panel 42 can be left in position;

The retention of the inspection panel 34 permits of checking after gluing whether or not the indicia 36 and/ or 44 are employed, without defacing or destroying the carton, the panel 34 being capable of being swung about the crease line 33 to the extent desired for inspection, without removing the contents or upon removal of the contents.

In other instances, and dependent upon the available locations for mounting the scanning equipment the tab or panel 42 can be omitted and the indicia 46 can be employed in conjunction with the indicia 36 for actuating the scanning mechanism. As illustrative, for initial scanning the indicia 36 can be utilized while for the second scanning in conjunction with the filling and closing of the carton the indicia 46 may be employed.

It is also feasible with another set up of scanning mechanism to rely wholly on the indicia 46 on only one of the tabs 12 or 22. During the first scanning operation, the tabs 12 and 22 will be in flat condition and its indicia is advanced sequentially past the first scanning mechanism. Then during the filling operation and before the panels 17 and 27, and the tuck flaps 19 and 29 are moved to the closing locations, the tab 12 or 22 is bent at right angles to its Original position in 119 blank and as d the carton is advanced the indicia 46 is sequentially advanced past the second scanning mechanism.

It will thus be seen that a Wide range of control is available to accommodate the carton to a variety of arrangements of photoelectric or electronic scanning mechanism as well as visual and keying gage bar alignment.

I claim:

1. A carton formed from a blank having exterior side and top and bottom wall panels and other panels interiorly disposed in the set up and closed condition of the carton, said interiorly disposed panels including a glue flap hinged to one of said side panels along a longitudinal hinge line and with its face secured to the interior of another of the side panels, and

a code indicia carrying panel in hinged relation to said glue flap for movement of its face to expose the indicia thereon,

the combined width of said glue flap and indicia carrying panel being less than the Width of said other of said side panels to which said glue flap is attached.

2. A carton as defined in claim 1 in which an additional code indicia carrying panel is hingedly connected to one of the side panels along a transverse crease line and is movable from a flat position to a bent position with its indicia disposed for reading in the bent position.

3. A carton formed from a blank having exterior side and top and bottom walls and other panels including hingedly mounted dust flaps interiorly disposed in the set up and closed condition of the carton, said interiorly disposed panels including a glue flap hinged to one of said side panels, one of said dust flaps having code indicia and being movable from a flat position with its code indicia disposed for reading to a bent position with its code indicia disposed for reading in the bent position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,043 11/1914 Elliott. 1,780,558 11/1930 Kavanau. 2,054,596 9/1936 Ford. 2,134,971 11/1938 Guyer. 2,260,137 10/ 1941 Donnelly 229-38 XR 2,611,529 9/ 1952 Currivan 229-38 3,035,380 5/1962 Leavens 53-47 3,086,121 4/1963 Cockrell 250-219 3,122,237 2/ 1964 Stenstrom. 3,205,603 9/ 1965 Brumley 40-312 3,254,824 6/1966 Lang 40-312 XR DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

